Who said battling with your record company doesn’t pay off? After numerous delays resulting from stalemates with his label, Lupe Fiasco earns his first #1 album on this week’s Billboard chart with the arrival of his third album, Lasers. The album sells over 204,000 units in it’s first frame, easily outdistancing it’s closest challenger, Adele’s 21.

Fear not for the British songstress, however, as her sophomore effort scans another 133,000 copies to hang on to the #2 spot and pad it’s total as the year’s top seller so far. Adele is the only artist in last week’s Top 5 to remain in the chart’s upper echelon this week, as spots 3-6 are all taken by debuts.

The cast of the hit TV show “Glee” starts out at #3, with 90,000 units sold of their fifth volume of soundtrack material. They’re followed by Avril Lavigne at #4 (with a so-so total of 87K), R.E.M. at #5 (with a disappointing 57,000 units sold of Collapse Into Now), and country star Sara Evans (most recently of “Dancing with the Stars”), whose latest album, Stronger, starts at #6.

Several other debuts are scattered throughout the Top 100, including a somewhat disappointing showing for Raekwon’s Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang (#12, 29K), comic Daniel Tosh at #28 (15K),  and Kenny Rogers at #31 (13K). Picture them all on a track together.

It was a quiet week for the music industry, although it’s also interesting to note that for the past four weeks, record sales in each week have been higher than in the same week last year. Not sure what that means in the grand scheme of things, but in this day and age, any ray of light, however slight, is a cause for celebration.

That streak will probably end next week, as there aren’t really any major releases coming out. Adele could potentially return to the top, although she stands a challenge from punk band Rise Against. One week later, look for big numbers from the likes of Chris Brown, Jennifer Hudson and The Strokes.

Get the full Top 20 after the jump.

1. Lasers, Lupe Fiasco
2. 21, Adele
3. Glee, The Music: Vol. 5, Glee Cast
4. Goodbye Lullabye, Avril Lavigne
5. Collapse Into Now, R.E.M.
6. Stronger, Sara Evans
7. Sigh No More, Mumford & Sons
8. Late Nights and Early Mornings, Marsha Ambrosius
9. Never Say Never-The Remixes, Justin Bieber
10. Now That’s What I Call Music 37, Various Artists
11. Passion: Here for You,The Passion Band
12. Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang, Raekwon
13. My World 2.0, Justin Bieber
14. Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Bruno Mars
15. Loud, Rihanna
16. Pink Friday, Nicki Minaj
17. Greatest Hits So Far, P!nk
18. My Kinda Party, Jason Aldean
19. Recovery, Eminem
20. Need You Now, Lady Antebellum